Category: Sector

Updating my Status to Homebuyer


People interact with their family, friends and coworkers on a daily basis, both through online social networks and in real life. The effects of such social interactions on economic and financial decision-making, however, are not well understood.

Do such interactions influence people’s assessment of the attractiveness of investments such as houses or stocks, and is this reflected in actual investment behavior? In addition, can social interactions influence market-level trading volume and asset prices?

September Oil is Losing a Technical Battle


Today’s 2.5% fall in the September light sweet crude oil futures contract extends the decline that began on June 9.  It is the third consecutive loss and the fifth loss in the past six sessions.  There are two important points to make that this Great Graphic from Bloomberg helps illustrates.

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Categorized as Energy

Lithium’s Run is Likely not Over


So far, lithium has been the hottest metal of 2016, beating out gold, with exponential demand expected over the coming years. Although the price trajectory of the metal has been subdued in recent months, the fundamentals behind the long-term trajectory suggest strong potential for long-term growth.

Price doubling from 2014/2015 was first seen in China and is now being felt worldwide, with lithium hydroxide prices from $16-20 and carbonate prices from $12-14 thousand USD per ton.

Automotive Thrust

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Categorized as Energy

How Secure is Your Blockchain?


Ethereum, a network designed to extend blockchain technology to uses beyond crypto-currencies, has been gaining traction around the world.  Billed as “a decentralized platform that runs smart contracts…without any possibility of downtime, censorship, fraud or third party interference,” Ethereum has been enthusiastically embraced by organisations like Microsoft, IBM and Azure.

‘Power to the People’ through Online Petitions


If you have recently signed an online petition – and then observed a result from it – you are far from alone. Once niche, websites such as Change.org, ipetitions.com and Avaaz.org have moved into the mainstream, shifting influence from organisations into the hands of individuals and fundamentally changing the way business and government respond to “people power”.

The Algorithmic CEO


Recently dubbed “the biggest crowdfunding project ever”, the decentralised autonomous organisation (DAO) is essentially an investment fund without humans making the investment decisions.

Just in Case You were Wondering about Blockchain


Most people agree we do not need to know how a television works to enjoy using one. This is true of many existing and emerging technologies. Most of us happily drive cars, use mobile phones and send emails without knowing how they work. With this in mind, here is a tech-free user guide to the blockchain – the technology infrastructure behind bitcoin, and many other emerging platforms.

What does the blockchain do?

The blockchain is software that stores and transfers value or data across the internet.

(Re) Calling All Oil Workers


The rig count has rebounded from the lows seen in late May; a small indication that oil companies in the U.S. could begin drilling anew. Shale drilling is a short-cycle prospect, requiring only a few weeks to drill and bring a well online. Because of this, the collective U.S. shale industry has been likened to the new “swing producer”: low oil prices force quick cutbacks but higher prices trigger new supplies. In essence, shale could balance the market in the way OPEC used to. 

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Categorized as Energy

More Rigs could be the Oil Rally’s Greatest Foe


In an industry where anything could happen, surprises—often unwelcomed—are hard to come by. Oil is exactly such an industry at the moment. No one is sure where oil is heading, near-term forecasts range from $20 to $80 per barrel by the end of the year, and there are just too many wild cards on the scene.

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Categorized as Energy

The Danger when a Business Loses its Social License


A greyhound at a protest the abuse of greyhounds at the hands of the racing industry. Jordan Rivkin/AAP